There are people more sensitive than others, more capable of absorbing the charm and fragility of life, its nuances and penumbras. A bit helpless and slighly lost in the hasty and aggressive reality, they stop in admiration for neglected wonders of ordinary life: a round pebble, a broken twig, or a homeless man sleeping on a bench. One such person is Darek Twardoch, together with his pastel painting.

More than either years ago, this astute observer of human soul started painting his series devoted to humanized, fragile puppets. Before, he produced moody landscapes, but also ceramics, book illustrations and poetry.

The series, inspired by the poetry of Lesmian and Galczynski, portray the prepossessing lives of two Puppets. In a slightly sad and dusted scenery, they show reality and dreams as if in an old, dim mirror. In these metaphorical paintings everyone can find a piece of themselves, a child's world of reliance, gentleness and faith in matters so big and difficult like love and solitude.

At the same time, these tales remind us of inevitability of passing, of our fragility and inability to change fate, of brutality of life. Themes of Sand Castle Builders, Castaways, Lifeboat, Stripteaser, Yard Theatre, Puppet Master, Chess Players, Landscape Caretaker ľ are metaphors of human life.

Darek Twardoch not only is a master of perception of the states of human soul, but also a master of light and soft colours. His palette includes dim greens and browns, milky whites and grays, sands and broken blues, and a bit of aged, patina-covered rose. His paintings maintain moods reminiscent of pale photographs, with blurred backgrounds and plenty of space for the viewer's imagination.

Painting of Darek Twardoch is known and appreciated around the world, which can be attested by numerous exhibitions in Paris, London, Luxembourg, Prague, Frankfurt, Berlin, Malm÷, Copenhagen, among others. It should also be noted that the artist's painting has been among the 111 out of 7,000 works selected for Osaka Triennale 1996.

Looking at his paintings, lets remember that the artist has undertaken a nearly impossible task. He is trying to save from obscurity not only the material objects that live their own, quiet lives, not only the fabulous child's worlds and unfulfilled dreams, but also all that is dearest to our hearts ľ love, gentleness and consideration for others.